There was quite a lot of background context to get up to speed with ahead of Saturday’s clashes.

Canterbury don’t like Holcombe. Holcombe don’t like Canterbury.

That pretty much sums it all up in terms of the ‘bigger picture’. It’s a friendly(ish) rivalry that stretches back a long time but has only really come to fruition in recent years with Holcombe’s rise through the tiers of English Hockey.

Canterbury is a great club and our sport needs clubs in our position outside of London to be competing at the highest level of domestic hockey.

It was very apparent on Saturday night however that we were in a local derby. We had the biggest contingent of travelling support we’ve had so far this season and the chat from the Canterbury crowd all night was fantastic – it’s just what big events like that need.

Thankfully we’ve provided bragging rights until the return fixture in February (we’ll skip over the Indoor Season interlude…) and you could see how much that meant to those that had travelled down to support.

In the context of the games themselves, Canterbury Women are undoubtedly going through a transition phase after losing a number of key figures in the off-season but have been challenging for the title every year for some considerable time now which always makes them a threat.

There were obvious frustrations creeping into the Women’s game on Saturday.

For whatever reasons, it didn’t quite work in front of goal for the second game running. Thankfully, the get-out-of-jail card came through a Penalty Corner but it was very apparent that the girls wanted more from that game.

When all is said and done however, the game provided 3 points at the home of last year’s runners-up when we didn’t play our best. Whatever the circumstances and whatever the context; that’s a strong result.

With effectively a fortnight before their next game, there’s a great chance to rectify the problems and re-group before another big push ahead of the Christmas Break.

We also learned of the true extent of Emma Trunks’ injury this week; an operation tomorrow and a lengthy rehab process means that the group currently playing is likely to be consistent right through the Christmas Break. The continuity will be a positive attribute to the squad ahead of some tough fixtures going into the break.

For us, Saturday was nothing if not entertaining.

From a coach’s perspective, it was probably a nightmare to watch but 8 goals, a penalty stroke and a fair amount of controversy must have been a spectacle for the crowd.

You always get those kind of games and there’s little you can do to really prepare for it. It’s an old cliché to ‘rise above it’ and to ‘play to your own standards’ but the practicalities are that you can only beat the team in front of you.

We beat the league leaders last week by the same margin that we beat a side yet to pick up a point this season. There’s no logic in that; it’s just what makes sport great.

There were times in that game where Canterbury just threw everything and everyone at us. They were up for the game for more reasons than it simply being a local derby – they were desperate for points and that always makes a side dangerous.

The cold truth is that we weren’t good enough on Saturday and didn’t play to the level that we’re capable of. By the same means, that simply can’t be expected every week and the ability to pick up points when we don’t play well is something we pride ourselves on.

There was obviously a different context here in that we just had too much on the day regardless but winning games against the teams at the bottom and performing to the level we’re capable of against the top teams will get us to a position to compete for a Championship.

With all the doom and gloom however, we took all 6 points that were dangled in front of us at Polo Farm and took them straight back up the M2 to Holcombe Park.

As it now transpires, both Holcombe sides currently sit a single point behind their respective leaders and the men still have a game in hand against a side at the bottom of the league.

It’s not a bad start to what will be a long and testing season.

There’s no respite for us as a double header awaits. The first, our game in hand at Loughborough Students. The second, 24 hours later at home to Hampstead and Westminster in the HA Cup.

If Canterbury were scrapping for points then Loughborough will be fighting for their lives already. Having lost 3 points to their immediate rivals Brooklands on Sunday, they’ll be desperate.

I’ve got a lot of history with Loughborough through the years; thankfully none that involve me being there for longer than a game of hockey, but history nonetheless. Returning old boy Barry Middleton will no doubt get some attention, most probably for snubbing them in favour of playing for Cannock whilst he was reading there.

Student games are often the most fun to be a part of and hopefully the timing of the fixture won’t detract from a good crowd.

Next weekend will be another exciting couple of days with the group and not just to experience Sam Ward’s bakes.

“Your muffins are a bit dry.” (G. Pinner, 2016)